The President of Ireland became emotional as he was read a letter from President following the death of his dog, Bród.
President Michael D Higgins took part in an interview with Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show on Friday to mark before BBC’s Patrick Kielty.
During the wide-ranging chat, a letter from US president Biden was read aloud to the Limerick man, which was sent after his beloved Bernese Mountain Dog, Bród, died at age 11 last month.
Bród had made international headlines on multiple occasions, including.
In 2018, the giant dog demanded attention from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and in 2021 received ear scratches from Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Bród was a celebrity in his own right in Ireland, with his own Twitter page alongside his sister Síoda, who died in 2020.
In Tubridy’s final episode, he read the letter from fellow dog-lover Biden, with Higgins becoming visibly emotional and his mouth trembling as he heard the kind words said aloud.
‘Dear Mr President, Jill and I were deeply sadenned to learn about the passing of your beloved Bród.
‘From the moment he came to Áras an Uachtaráin (the President’s residence) as a small puppy, Bród quickly became loved by people across Ireland and around the world, including me.
‘I know his absence must be hard, we lost our dog Champ after 13 years, we lost a constant companion. During our most joyful moments and most grief-stricken days, he was always there, sensitive to every unspoken feeling and emotions.
‘We’re keeping you and Sabina in our thoughts and we send you our deepest condolences. Sincerely, Joe Biden.’
President Higgins was visibly touched, despite clearly knowing the contents of the letter extremely well as he at one point appeared to mouth along with the words.
He has since welcomed a new Bernese to the family, puppy Misneach, whose name means Courage; Bród means Pride, while Síoda is Silk.
RTÉ’s Late Late Show is one of the longest-running talk show in the world, and has so far only had three presenters: legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny, and Tubridy.
Northern Ireland comedian and presenter Patrick, 52, was earlier this month confirmed to be taking over the role for the show’s 61st series.
He said as he was announced that it was a ‘real honour’ to be taking on the iconic show.
‘I’m also genuinely humbled to become part of Friday nights for so many Irish people, at home and around the world. I can’t wait to get started on one of the greatest jobs in television.’
The Late Late Show will return in September on Fridays at 9.35pm on RTE One and RTÉ Player.
